Summer Recipe with Caz Osborne

Christmas Roast Chicken with Macadamia & Cranberry Stuffing

Preparation time: 15 minutes

Cooking time: 1 hour 25 minutes

Serves 6

This Christmas Roast Chicken has a delicious festive stuffing and is seasoned with star anise, cloves, cinnamon, orange and maple syrup. Juicy on the inside with crispy golden skin and pan juices for your festive gravy. Fabulous main for that big event.

ingredients

for the chicken

1.75 – 2kg Free Range Chicken (Heritage Poultry Chicken)

100gm butter, room temperature

1 orange, zested – cut into quarters

Juice of ¼ orange (see above)

1 tsp of ground cinnamon

1 tsp ground clove

1 tsp ground star anise

½ teaspoon bay leaf, finely chopped

2 extra bay leaves

1 tsp salt

Pinch of pepper

2 large brown onions, halved

4 teaspoons maple syrup

ingredients

for the stuffing

1 ½ tablespoons olive oil

2 small brown onions, finely chopped

75gm (½ cup) Craisins (dried cranberries) finely chopped

55gm (1/3 cup) Greenlee Farm unsalted macadamia nuts, finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, crushed

245gm (3 ½ cups) fresh breadcrumbs

2 eggs lightly whisked

1/3 cup of finely chopped parsley and sages

Prosciutto slices

method | chicken

Take chicken out of fridge 30 mins before cooking.

Preheat oven to 200c fan. Place shelf in the middle of oven.

Put butter in a medium bowl and beat with a wooden spoon until smooth. Stir in spices, salt, orange zest, orange juice and stir until combined. A food processor could be used also.

Use fingertips to separate chicken skin from flesh on breasts. Reserve 1/3 of butter mix. Push most of remaining butter mix under chicken skin then put skin neatly back in place. Rub some butter inside the cavity and around the chicken.

Place 3 remaining orange quarters and two bay leaves into the cavity. Arrange onions in the base of a large roasting pan in a single layer. Sit chicken on top ensuring wings are tucked under. Tie chicken legs together firmly with kitchen twine. Tie parsons’ nose to legs and secure tightly. Pour in 250ml water. Cover chicken with baking paper then cover pan tightly with foil so no steam escapes.

Put into oven and cook for 10mins, then turn oven down 180c and cook for 1hr 15mins.

Roasting until juices run clear when a skewer is inserted into chicken thigh or internal temperature is at 75c.

Let stand for 20mins uncovered before serving.

If wanting a gravy scrape all the juices from the baking tray and all the juices from the chicken resting into the baking pan. Dissolve a tablespoon of cornflour into cold water. Bring the meat juices to a soft boil and stir in 50gm butter and the cornflour a little at a time whilst stirring until you’ve reached desired consistency. Season with salt and pepper if required.

method | stuffing

Heat the oil in a large non-stick frypan over medium heat. Add onion, craisins, macadamia nuts and garlic and cook, stirring for 8-10minutes or until onion softens. Set aside for 5 minutes to cool slightly.

Place mixture in a bowl. Add the breadcrumbs, egg and herbs. Stir until combined. Season with salt and pepper.

Lightly spray foil with olive oil and place prosciutto slices down the middle. Place mixture in the centre. Roll up to a cylinder shape. Place in oven for the last 40 mins of the chicken cooking. Let rest with chicken and slice to serve.